Residents of Kaptilol village in Ndurio sub-location, Aldai Constituency, Nandi County, were treated to dramatic scenes after hundreds of unknown youths stormed a local farmer’s tea farm and cut down all trees along the plantation.
The boundaries of the farm belonging to Mzee Geoffrey Kiplel Choge have been in contention with the local community wanting the tress protruding to the road removed
But according to mzee Choge, the goons who invaded his land were not genuine as he had in past called on the authorities to demarcate the boundary accordingly to avoid conflicts with other residents who claimed they could not access the road properly due to huge branches of trees blocking it.
“It is very unfortunate that people can just wake up destroying someone’s property without any reason. My 2 acreage tea crops have been destroyed and damaged as heavy trunks of trees fell on them. But why?” Choge posed.
The chaotic scenes from armed youths spread fear and anxiety among local farms who wondered why the attackers did not follow due process.
“I have written a letter to the Ministry of Lands and public works to come to visit this area, demarcate the land and extract the public route but to my surprise, the area’s local leaders have been politicking the whole issue. Can you imagine the whole Assistant county commissioner writing a letter to me that he will bring members of the community to cut down my tree if I don’t remove them? Which law is that? Is that not incitement?” he added.
Efforts by K24 Digital to get feedback from local administrators were unbearable but the issue has been forwarded to Nandi County Commissioner Caroline Nzwili for action
Though the real motive of the trespassers is yet to be revealed the land which is plot number 484 belongs to mzee Geoffrey Kiplel Choge and his other family members want justice to be served to mzee following the mass destruction of properties
“The government says let’s plant more trees to avert climate change but here we are cutting down even the indigenous trees. Surely this is very wrong. We have been relying on tea for income at this time of tough economy now they have been damaged! We need the law to take its course,” a family member said.
The family has vowed to take the matter to court should authorities fail to take action against the perpetrators.
“So far nobody has been arrested yet the perpetrators are known. The chief, assistant chief and village elder all know what happened. It was extremely unfortunate for the family’s private land to be invaded. Hopefully, an investigation into the incident will help clarify the cause of the chaotic scene and also ensure that such incidences don’t happen again,” Choge’s son said.
